For processing bank notes there are employed bank-note processing machines which usually consist of a plurality of portions or processing zones which are disposed one after the other and perform different working steps. The number, kind and arrangement of the portions can vary depending on the requirements for the processing of the bank notes. Typically, a bank-note processing machine comprises at least an input portion with an input pocket, an operator control portion as well as an output portion having a plurality of output pockets. After being input into the input pocket, the bank notes are singled in the input portion and captured by sensors in a checking device in order to recognize those bank notes that are no longer fit for taking part in bank-note circulation. These are separated from the bank notes that are fit for circulation and are output separately or destroyed, where applicable. The bank notes fit for circulation are transported further by means of a transport system of the bank-note processing machine and output in the output pockets of the output portion, being sorted for example according to the value of a bank note. Optionally, such a bank-note processing machine can have a shredder module for destroying selected bank notes and/or modules for stacking or bundling processed bank notes. The sequence of the bank-note processing can be controlled and monitored by the operating person via a user interface which is usually located in the operator control portion of the bank-note processing machine and can be adapted for example as a touchscreen.
In particular when bank-note processing machines are used by central banks or major banks, there frequently occurs the case that a plurality of partly identical bank-note processing machines are operated at different sites which can be a far distance apart. Here there is often the wish to hold uniform configuration data for operating the bank-note processing machines on all these bank-note processing machines (or at least a portion thereof) at the different sites. The term “configuration data” is understood here as a general term for all kinds of data relating to the operation of a bank-note processing machine, e.g. operating data which define the operating parameters (such as e.g. the processing speed) of a bank-note processing machine, classification data which define parameters for classifying bank notes, security setting data which define the security settings (such as e.g. the password length) of a bank-note processing machine, and the like.